12 Valuable Things to Know Before Buying a Printer

The printer is one of the essential office appliances that can help save time and increase efficiency in the workplace. Here we discuss the most Valuable Things to Know Before Buying a Printer.

Printers are crucial devices that allow to save time and increase efficiency in the workplace. However, there are various printers out there to choose from, so understanding the basics about them can be confusing.

Here are some tips you should follow when purchasing a printer, so you don’t get stuck with the wrong one for your business.


We all know that things are expensive these days. Whether it’s a new car, a house, or even just everyday items like food and clothes, the price is continuously increasing.

But when you’re in the market for something as crucial as your printer, things can get tricky. There are so many different printers to choose from – some cheap and others pricey – how do you decide?

Want to know about 10 Easy Questions to Ask Yourself before Buying a printer?

List of 12 things

1: IPM

IPM is the number of images printed per minute. An IPM is one image. It is not a measurement of quality. It is a measurement of quantity.

For example, if you use a high-quality inkjet printer, but print one image every five seconds, you will print one IPM (if you printed one image every second, then it would be five IPMs).

2: PPM

PPM stands for Page Per Minute. PPM is a measurement of the speed at which a printer can print a sheet of paper. For example, a printer that prints a 10-page document in 20 seconds has a PPM rating of 5 PPM.

A faster rating is better, as a quicker printer can save time and money by lowering printing costs. If you need a lot of information printed quickly, such as for an advertising campaign, you should buy a printer with the fastest PPM rating you can afford.

3: Processor

The processor is an essential part of the printer. It is responsible for interpreting the instructions from the computer and converting them into instructions that the printer can understand.

The instructions from the computer possess very high encoded data, which needs to be decoded by the processor.

In short, the processor is responsible for interpreting instructions from your computer and converting them into instructions that the printer can understand.

4: Memory

Memory is a storage unit in a printer, a printer has a memory for the temporary storage of the data, which is being sent or received via computer. It stores the data in a form that can be later retrieved.

The memory is a type of buffer between the computer and the printer. In a printer, it is also known as a print buffer. In printers, the memory size is usually measured in Kilobytes (KB).

When a printer is powered on, it has a very basic memory that stores the data in a temporary area in a buffer.

When a printer receives a print file from a computer, it processes the file with the help of memory.

The memory is cleared when a print job runs out or when a new print job runs. A memory in a printer is a volatile semiconductor memory. It is a volatile memory because it requires a constant supply of power.

5: Internal Hardware

A printer contains several individual components, including the print head, the paper sensors, the ink cartridge, the fusing assembly, and a print carriage that holds the ink cartridge and print head.

The print carriage moves back and forth over the print bed, a sheet of flat, heated metal, while the paper moves backwards and forwards through the printer.

The print head, a working electro-mechanical integrated circuit, is a small gadget that sits inside the printer and pushes ink onto the paper in a pattern controlled by the printer’s embedded microprocessor.

6: Resolution

Resolution in the printer is also known as DPI (Dots per inch). It is the number of dots per inch that the printer can print. If you want to print a document with small text or graphics, you need a higher resolution.

The higher the resolution, the better the image that you print will be. The best computer printer in the market today is the ink-jet printer. Ink-jet printers use droplets of ink to create an image on a piece of paper.

The quality of a printer is measured by the number of dots per inch it can produce. The higher the dots per inch, the higher the quality of the print.

The resolution of a printer is the number of distinct dots that the printer can place per square inch. It is usually measured in pixels per inch (PPI).

Resolution is one of the most important factors in determining the image’s clarity, but it’s not the only one.

The quality of the ink or toner, the size of the printer’s nozzle, and the paper type all affect the clarity of the image. A high-resolution printer can create a clear image with low-quality ink or toner.

A low-resolution printer cannot create a high-quality image with the best ink or toner. So, high resolution is necessary but not sufficient for creating a good printout.

7: Paper Handling

Paper handling is the way in which papers are loaded into the printer. To understand how it works, you must first understand how paper is typically printed.

First, the printer’s print head moves across the paper to print the page, then the paper moves underneath the print head.

When the paper is loaded correctly, the print head moves across the paper with the paper moving under it to print the page. When the print head moves backwards, it will hit the paper jam will occur.

When the print head moves forward, the paper moves underneath to print the page.

8: Paper Tray Capacity

The printer’s paper tray capacity affects the number of printouts it can handle at one time. It is the amount of paper that can be set into the tray or tray compartment.

The tray capacity is different for each printer model, and it varies according to the model of the printer. The tray capacity is usually measured in sheets.

The printer’s paper tray capacity can be changed depending on the paper size you use. It is the same as the printer’s maximum supported paper size.

For example, a printer can have a tray capacity of 250 sheets, as well as a maximum, supported paper size of A4.

This means that you can put 250 sheets of A4 paper into the tray at one time. The supported paper sizes are usually listed in the printer specifications.

But you can always check the printer manually if you have any doubts about the tray capacity.

Here is the list of 6 Best Photo Printers Under $200 in 2023

9: Duty Cycle

Duty Cycle in printer means the amount of time the printer can be used in a day or in a month. Duty Cycle in most printers ranges between 15000-20000 pages per month. Therefore, you can use the printer for that many pages each month.

If you print more than the limit of the duty cycle, you will get an error message on your printer.

It’s important to find a printer with the right duty cycle for your needs. Most of these work in terms of how many pages they can print per month, and if you’re looking at printing around 5000 pages every single day or more then this number will be enough.

A household would require about five thousand monthly Duty Cycles while an office typically requires 20K+duty cycles each month – provided that their printer is able to keep up without any problems.

10: Connection Interface

The term “connection” refers to the path the printer travels over to connect with the print-data source.

If the printer is connected to a computer via USB cable, it is said to be “USB Connected”.

If it is connected to the computer through a parallel cable, or to a computer network via Ethernet cable or wireless, it is said to be “network” or “wired” connected.

The most Commonly Connection Interface is USB, Bluetooth, WIFI, Cloud, and NFC.

11: USB

USB Connection by the printer is very easy to understand. It is a connection used to communicate with the computer.

USB printing is the most common way to connect the printer to the computer. The best example of USB printing is that while setting up a printer while installing the drivers, the driver will detect the connected USB port connected to the computer.

Once the USB port is connected, the printer will automatically get connected to the computer.

12: Bluetooth

Bluetooth means a special cordless technology that enables the printer to receive signals from a computer or a mobile device.

It is a standard wireless technology that is used for a variety of electronic devices. It works with a low-power radiofrequency.  

It is a short-range wireless technology that has a radius of 10 meters.  So, when you have a Bluetooth-enabled printer, you will have to keep your mobile device close to the printer.  

However, there are some printers that have a USB Bluetooth adaptor that enables your printer to print from a device that is further away from the printer.

13: WIFI

Wireless networking technology allows the printing of documents without the use of wires.

It can connect multiple devices wirelessly without having to use any cables. This is the reason why WIFI printers are becoming more and more popular.

They are very convenient devices to have so that you can print the documents you need wirelessly.

You can also connect your WIFI printers to mobile devices so that you can print the documents you need anywhere you are.

14: Cloud

Printers are increasingly integrating cloud printing into their features.

This makes it easy to access files and print them directly from the cloud storage service using software like AirPrint or Google Cloud Print among others, making this capability more accessible than ever before.

15: NFC

NFC stands for Near Field Communication. This is communication technology. It is used in many devices to enable communication between devices over short distances.

When you bring your phone near the printer, the NFC-enabled phone and printer can communicate with each other and print or connect without using a cable.

How would you like to print a document on your phone? NFC Printing is the quick and easy way, but some printers might require an extra installation of software for it to work correctly.

NFC is widely used in mobile phones and other electronic devices. There are applications for NFC in Offices and Homes.

NFC is generally used in Mobile handsets to communicate with NFC tags. It is also used in smartphones, tablets, and other devices to communicate with each other.

NFC tags are used for a lot of purposes. NFC tags can be used to keep track of your pets, just you need to affix an NFC tag on your pets and you can follow him/her using your mobile phone.

NFC tags can be used to store contact information and can be used to unlock doors and cars. NFC tags can be used to store personal information like medical history and can be used to alert emergency services in case of an emergency.

16: Automatic Document Feeder

The Auto Document Feeder allows you to put multiple papers at once and the printer will scan or copy each page one by one.

Making it possible for a quick, easy way of scanning and printing documents that have more than just 1 sheet.

The average document feeder can scan 10 pages per minute, but some high-end models are capable of up to 200 sheets.

17: Duplex Printing

Duplex printing refers to a printing method in which the paper is printed on both sides alternatively.

Duplex printing is useful when a printer is required to print a document on both sides of a paper at a time, so as to save paper and time.

In a typical duplex printer, the paper is fed from a tray, which is pulled out by a drum, so that both sides of the paper may be printed. Duplex printing saves a lot of manpower and time.

For example, the amount of time to complete a 200-page document is reduced from six hours to three hours.

The machine uses less manpower, as only one person is required to be present to complete the work. Duplex printing is used extensively by offices and businesses.

The other alternative which a user can undertake is to print a document on a photocopier first, and then take a printout of the first side of the document and place it inside the printer to get a printout of the second side.

This method may be a good alternative for those who need a single copy.

Conclusion

Buying a new printer can be a daunting task. There are a lot of things to know and consider before making a purchase.

That’s why we’ve put together this blog post for you! We hope it helps you learn what to look for and make an informed decision about purchasing a new printer.

Please feel free to contact us at any time. We would love to hear from you.

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